Improvement in cartridges



E. GOMEZ. CARTRIDGE.

No. 99,079. Patented Jan. 25, 1870.

n um u m mmmwmemm EDWIN GOMEZ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARTRIDGES.

Specificaon forming part of Letters Patent No. 99,079, dafled. January25, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN GOMEZ, of the city and State of New York, haveinvented and made a new and useful Improvement in Firing Projectiles andExplosive Materials and I do hereby declare the following to be acorrect description of the same.

Heretofore the explosion of gunpowder in large quantities has beenattended with loss of unconsumed powder, and the obtaining of but asmall proportion of its effective force.

In other cases quick-firing material, such as in Letters Patent No.18,199, granted September 15, 1857, and No. 86,980, granted February16,1869, has been employed, but at the risk of bursting the gun in whichthe same was fired, in consequence of the suddenness of the explosion.

My present invention has for its object the employment of a quick-iiring powder, without the risk of injury to the gun, and so that theexplosion follows up and accelerates the ball.

I will first describe the peculiarity of the means made use of, and thenexplain the operation.

In the drawing I have shown, in Figure 1, a longitudinal section of aprojectile, and in Fig. 2 an elevation of the same.

a. represents a ball of suitable size and shape. b, a central rod ofwood or other light material, around which one or more coils of fuse arewound, as shown at 0. This fuse is to be filled or madewith quick-firingcompound, such as in either of aforesaid patents, or acting like thesame, and the case of said fuse may be of paper, folded up as in LettersPatent No. 34,057, granted January 7, 1862.

The rear end of the fuse is connected to a nipple, d, to receive adetonating-cap, or the said fuse may be red in any convenient manner.Thefuse being of powderwithin a folded case, is introduced into thenipple so as to expose the open end to the fire from the cap.

I have shown a cylinder, e, at the rear end of the rod 1) said cylinderbeing formed with deep grooves running around the same like a screw, andinto this the rear end of the fuse, or one coil of the same, is laid andpassed to the nipple d, or other point of ignition.

The cartridge or projectile made in this manner may be employed alone,although that is not my only object.

When fired in this manner in a smooth-bore gun, the action of the fusein the grooves of the cylinder e is to give a rotary motion to the ball,rocket, or other projectile, and the direction in which the fuse c iswound is to correspond, with the same object in view. In this manner theprojectile receives a rotary movement to aid the accuracy of the fiight;and the fuse-powder, commencing to burn at the rear end, exerts itsforce in starting the ball, andthe fuse is carried along with the ball,and, continuing to burn, increases the pressure of the gases andaccelerates the velocity.

The area'or space around the fuse is to be proportioned to the rapidityof the powder, for the risk of rupture of the gun will be pre vented byallowing a space for the gases to act in starting the ball, and thelength of the fuse is such that it will be consumed before theprojectile leaves the cannon or gun, or before the propulsive force isrequired to cease. By this means the force exerted on the projectilewill be greatest toward thelast portion of the movement of the ball inthe gun, thus greatly increasing its flight in proportion to the powderemployed, and cfi'ectually preventing all the quick-firing powder goingoif in a mass, at the risk of injury to the gun.

rlhe cylinder e and grooves aid in drawing or forcing out of the gun anypieces of the paper of the fuse.

The fuse inclosing the quick-firing powder in a tubular case, woundspirally or helically around the stem or support, is to be distinguishedfrom the roll of paper and explosive material shown in Letters PatentNo. 21,253, granted August 24, 1858.

One oi' the principal objects to 'be accomplished by this improvement isto fire gunpowder or other explosive material in the most advantageousmanner to exert its force to the best advantage upon the material orarticle to be moved. This will be understood by reference 'to thedrawing, wherein a case containing gunpowder is shown as surrounding thecoil of fuse before described. In this instance, the action of the fuseand the gases evolved from the explosion will remain substantially asbefore set forth, but the charge of Vpowder surrounding the same willadd its force to that of the powder of the fuse-coil, and these are tobe regulated in their relative proportion and action to the desiredWork.

In tiring gunpowder in this manner, there is an accumulation of pressureand effective force; thus the fuse, although burning with rapidity, isto be so proportioned in .length as to continue to burn as the powder isprogressively ignited; thus a comparatively small pressure is exerted asthe ball starts, but the pressure accumulates with irresistible rapidityas the entire charge is ignited, and the fuse continues to convey thenecessary tire of ignition until all the powder is burnt, the explosionnot putt-ing out the fuse or allowing any grains of the gunpowder toescape unconsumed, and I remark that this arrangement causes theultimate force of the explosion to be directed upon the ball; but myextended tests lead me to know that if the explosion commenced next tothe ball by my Inode of iiring and run'back to the breech, the mainforce would be ,exerted there, and but comparatively little on theprojectile, so that by arranging my coil accordingly, the force of theexplosion can be directed to the bursting of cannon, or the performanceof other similar work, under whatever condition, may be understood, andthis peculiarity availed of; thereby a small amount of powder isrendered very powerful and eficacious, the accumulated force oftheexplosion being directed against the desired portion of the substancessurrounding the powder-chamber. A

'I remark, further, that my experience leads me to know that in firinglarge charges of gunpowder, the pressure of the gases in the portionfirst exploded Vcauses the powder to pack and the flame to be excluded.

In my improved method of firing the powder, the flame that sets thepowder on tire penetrates the interstices in advance of any com,-pressing action, so that all particles are consumed and lend their forcein the explosion.

By my said invention, powder that may have become slightly damaged, orbe ot'a ner grain than that usually employed for a given purpose, or asecond quality of powder may be used with success, as in all instancesthe fire of the fuse is in advance of the fire in the powder, the fusebeing the quickest, and acting to ignite the powder, as aforesaid.

I have found that the noise of liring upon my improved plan is muchlessened, and when a cartridge made as herein contemplated is used forblasting or in wells, the effect is intense; and in blasting thevtrembling of the surrounding rock is the principal indication that theexplosion has taken place, but the effectiveness of the explosion isvery much greater than in any modes of firing heretofore pursued.

Io prevent any particles of the paper case of the coilof'fuse remainingand smoldering,

I prefer that the said paper be prepared with alum-water, and, whennitro-glycerine is elnployed, this coil may be coated with gnttaperchaor similar material, to prevent the powder of the fuse becominginjured.

It will be apparent that bymy mode of iiring projectiles, the velocitybeing increased,

. a cannon or mortar of less weight can be employed to effect a givenobject, because the increased velocity of the projectile will make upfor its less weight. What I claim, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

l. A projectile, having a rod, b, extending to the rear, in combinationwith a quick-irin g fuse wound around said rod b, commencing near theball, and fitted to be ignited at the rear end, so that the said fusemoves with the ball untifit is entirely burnt, as and for the

